Vets deserve a piece of jobs bill, VFW says - Military News | News From Afghanistan, Iraq And Around The World - Military Times

Vets deserve a piece of jobs bill, VFW says

The nation’s largest organization of combat veterans is demanding changes in the $15 billion jobs bill that passed the Senate on Wednesday because veterans were left out of a package of tax credits and highway projects aimed at increasing employment.

“Despite having more than 1.1 million unemployed veterans, the 60-page package failed to mention ‘veteran’ or ‘veterans’ even once,” said Justin Brown, a legislative associate with the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Brown was referring to HR 2847, the Hiring Incentive to Restore Employment Act, or HIRE Act, that passed the Senate on Wednesday by a 70-28 vote and is pending before the House.

Speaking before the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s economic opportunity panel, which is considering legislation that would expand vocational training for veterans, Brown said the VFW “finds it unconscionable that American’s veterans, who have left their families, risked their lives and limbs and left civilian career pursuits behind to answer the nation’s call, do not have the attention of Congress for this important matter.”

The unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans is almost 15.8 percent, higher than the average 10.6 percent overall unemployment rate, as well as the 11.8 percent rate for foreign-born U.S. citizens — a sore point among veterans groups such as the VFW.

“Unemployment impacts all Americans, but America’s newest veterans face multiple disadvantages in returning to employment after their service,” Brown said. “They are returning to an economy that offers few employment prospects while also potentially dealing with physical and mental disabilities, a lack of experience with interviews and resume writing, and a law of local networks and contacts that so many civilians enjoy.”

Tax credits

There are things Congress could do as part of the jobs bill, Brown said.

For example, an existing tax credit for employers is worth $2,400 for hiring a veteran and $4,800 for hiring a disabled veteran. That credit could be doubled and expanded to include more veterans, Brown said.

The tax credit now applies only to veterans unemployed for four weeks or longer who were separated from the military after Feb. 25, 2008. At a minimum, eligibility should be extended to anyone separated from the military since Sept. 11, 2001, Brown said, and the number of weeks spent unemployed should not be considered.

Brown also suggested an overhaul of the veterans rehabilitation and employment program to widen eligibility and to make it more accommodating by providing things such as child care services for veterans who are receiving training.

Expanding grants and loans to veterans who own a small business or want to start one also could be included in the bill, he said.

House changes

There is an opportunity to make changes in the HIRE Act when the House takes up the measure, but House passage is not a sure thing. There are objections to many of the provisions, such as which states would get the job-creating highway projects and proposed payroll tax relief for businesses that hire new workers over the next 10 years.

House leaders hope for a quick agreement on a compromise, with a vote on the bill coming as early as next week — which might not be enough time for consideration of veterans-specific provisions.

Brown’s comments came during a hearing to consider a variety of changes in veterans programs, including several aimed at expanding veterans education benefits. One includes a grant program in which an employer could receive up to $20,000 to offset the salary of a veteran in an apprenticeship program that would lead to a job in an energy-related field.

The chief sponsor of that bill, Rep. Harry Teague, D-N.M., said he was trying to find a way to get veterans well-paying and lasting jobs in fields such as construction of energy-efficient buildings, renewable electric power, bio-fuels, oil and gas production and nuclear power.

The concept has bipartisan support. Rep. John Boozman of Arkansas, the subcommittee’s top Republican, said he wanted to work with Teague to provide grants to employers.

“Let’s put veterans to work,” Boozman said.